Stephen Pickthall

A teenager who needs a heart and lung transplant has been told to wait until his condition worsens before he can have the treatment.

Football-loving Brad Harrison, 16, from Shoreham, has congenital heart disease which means the right side of his heart is extremely weak.

Brad, 16, and mum Jaimie keep each other positive.

After struggling to breathe he was told by doctors at the Royal Brompton Hospital in October last year that he also has pulmonary hypertension which has caused his lungs to be irreversibly damaged.

In March, the hospital said it could offer no further treatment other than a heart and lung transplant, but only at a later date.

Mum Jaimie Eason said: “We were told that they were going to wait until Brad was too sick to get out of bed and do an urgent heart and lung transplant.

“I understand it’s a massive risk with the surgery and they believe Brad’s quality of life isn’t bad enough to warrant it now.

"But if they wait he could be too weak for the surgery and what if there’s no donor?

“As soon as it’s urgent there’s no time anymore.”

Jaimie has sought a second opinion and a doctor in Ohio has told her he might be able to offer Brad an operation which would delay the transplant.

Now, the family has launched a #MendBradsHeart campaign to raise £25,000 to fly to America for a consultation.

A teacher at Shoreham Academy, Brad's old school, and a family friend ran Sunday’s Brighton Marathon and a football funday is planned at Southwick FC on May 6.

Brad was born with heart disease and a collapsed lung which was initially misdiagnosed as asthma.

He underwent two operations before the age of four, but then until the age of 14 he was incredibly active, playing for Shoreham Academy’s highly successful football team, reaching a national schools semi-final only a year ago.